In a city that never sleeps, bustling with its own blend of chaos and charm, something rather hair-raising occurred on Sukhumvit Road in the heart of Bangkok. If you were jostling about in the traffic or perhaps hunting for that perfect bowl of tom yum, you might have missed the latest scene of intrigue. The Immigration Bureau had its spotlight firmly set upon a seemingly ordinary hair salon, hiding secrets under the cloak of scissors and shampoo. It was a typical Tuesday afternoon at precisely 3:15 pm, when the swooping raid stirred up an unscheduled commotion in a commercial building that’s usually only witness to bursts of creativity and style. Fashioned on the second floor, the shop hadn’t revealed its enigmatic name to the public, adding an extra layer of mystery to the unfolding saga. Bangkok’s streets are known for their vivid tapestry of cultures, but within this salon, the…
Posts published in “Thailand”
In an unexpected turn of events straight out of a slapstick comedy, a man in Nakhon Ratchasima found himself in quite the predicament. On January 14th, he embarked on what seemed to be a straightforward home repair mission but ended up needing the cavalry in the form of local emergency services. His mission, should he have decided to accept it, was to fix a finicky float valve in his trusty 500-litre household water tank. However, what began as routine maintenance spiraled into a somewhat slippery situation. The gentleman in question—who had likely hoped for a smooth, in-and-out operation—suddenly found himself stuck, chest-deep, in the water tank, wearing nothing more than an expression of profound surprise and humility. It was less Mission: Impossible and more Laurel and Hardy, as escaping from the slippery abyss, it turned out, was no easy feat. With the household left to the care of minors and…
Life can turn upside down in the blink of an eye, and no one learned this more brutally than Prakrit, a Thai man whose world was shattered on a fateful evening in November last year. Prakrit’s wife and two beloved children—Yenjit, Boonyanuch, and Krittamate—were tragically lost when a speeding BMW collided with their motorcycle in the serene province of Chumphon. This heart-wrenching accident, which occurred at approximately 7:40 PM on November 27, has left a deep scar on the community and sparked a national outcry. The driver of the sleek black BMW, Jirunthanin, reportedly emerged from the wreckage with her priorities shockingly misplaced—actively searching for her fleeing feline rather than attending to the battered victims. In an act that seemed almost scripted for a bizarre drama, she left the scene with her cat in tow, abandoning the destruction left behind. Her eventual surrender to the police seven hours later did…
In a groundbreaking financial maneuver, the Revenue Department is making waves by cutting corporate income tax rates to a mere 10% for businesses nestled within Thailand’s special economic zones (SEZs). This remarkable tax reduction, effective for the next ten years, aims to galvanize these strategically located areas and amplify their economic vitality. Director General Pinsai Suraswadi has jubilantly announced that the Cabinet approved this transformative tax initiative on Monday, January 13, shortly followed by a royal decree to ensure its implementation in the SEZs. “The Finance Ministry, through the Revenue Department, has been wholeheartedly committed to stimulating investment in SEZs,” declared Pinsai, emphasizing the intent to make these zones a hotbed of economic activity. A carefully crafted draft royal decree was submitted to fine-tune the efficiency of these tax measures, ensuring they precisely support SEZ investment targets. The newly unrolled measure will see the typical 20% corporate income tax rate…
As the calendar inches closer to the eagerly anticipated lottery draw date, an influx of optimistic visitors has been noticed flocking to the spiritual sanctuary of Ruesi Nen That Phutthakhun Hermitage in the serene Bang Sai district, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya. Droves of individuals, fired up with hopes and dreams, converge on this revered site in a time-honored tradition, seeking blessings from sacred entities that are believed to sprinkle a dash of luck just when it’s needed the most. The hermitage, a repository of spiritual power and historical significance, welcomes its visitors into a world where the tangible meets the metaphysical. Standing guard in the expansive grounds is the colossal 16-metre tall Nine-Faced Giant, Phor Pu Ruesi Phrommet – the tallest of its kind globally! This imposing figure is just one among a pantheon of revered entities that includes the cherubic Kumarn Thong Jao Sua Heng, the formidable Chao Mae…
In the shadowy folds of northern Thailand, a dramatic skirmish unfolded on the evening of January 13, and it was anything but ordinary. The tranquility of the region was shattered as bullets whizzed through the crisp night air in what turned out to be a fatal clash involving, of all things, over a tonne of crystal methamphetamine. It’s not every day that such a showdown takes place, painting the small hamlet of Ban Pang Mahan in the Thoet Thai subdistrict with an air of infamy. Major General Kidakorn Chantra, the crack commander of the Pha Mueang Force, swiftly made his way to the site alongside his right-hand man, Lieutenant Colonel Jakkrapong Sodsri of the Task Force Chaotak. With the sun barely peeking over the horizon on January 14, they inspected the aftermath of this crossfire tango between their dedicated soldiers from Company 1 and a gang of drug-trafficking couriers. This…
In the quiet early hours of January 15, a tragically poignant event unfurled on a dimly lit road near Khlong Hat Som Paen, nestled behind Ranong’s district office. The serenity of the night was shattered by a heart-wrenching turn of events involving a young couple, their lives intertwined by a calamitous argument. A young woman, known to her friends simply as A, met an untimely death after leaping from a vehicle in motion, driven by her boyfriend, a Police Lance Corporal named Kittiphum. The account of this unfortunate night begins with the pair’s tumultuous evening, commencing at a lively nightclub where laughter and music soon gave way to a heated exchange of words. The source of their discord was jealousy, an all-too-familiar specter that loomed over their relationship. As the evening matured, they sought solace in food, yet the simmering tensions remained unquenched. At the height of the argument, within…
In a surprise twist of economic maneuvers, Thailand’s Finance Minister, Pichai Chunhavajira, has bumped up the timeline for the much-anticipated second phase of the 10,000-baht cash handout. Originally penciled in for later in the month, the disbursement will now hit the fast track on January 27, two days ahead of schedule. The main beneficiaries? A whopping 3.5 to 4 million elderly Thais, those who carry the wisdom of 60 years or more, who’ll soon see a boost to their bank accounts courtesy of the government’s PromptPay app. This financial stimulus is part of a grander government vision initially targeting all citizens aged 16 and above, with an ambitious budget fit for a king’s ransom—500 billion baht to be exact. However, fiscal prudence demanded a rethink, introducing income-based eligibility criteria to dodge the risks of reckless spending. Only those with an annual income below 840,000 baht and savings not surpassing 500,000…
In an astonishing turn of events that could easily rival the plot of a suspense thriller, a school director from the quaint town of Nong Song Hong in Khon Kaen province found himself handcuffed instead of shaping young minds. Police Colonel Theerathat Phongsuwan announced this jaw-dropping arrest on January 14, revealing that Naphatdol, a 40-year-old with the respectable title of school director, had indeed swapped chalk for a stash of methamphetamine tablets—a jaw-dropping 369, to be precise. The headlines spun on their axes as the backstory unraveled. The questionable career choice emerged following the apprehension of a 29-year-old named Thayakorn just days prior, on January 11. Thayakorn was attempting his very own breaking bad moment, albeit a rather modest one, with just 20 methamphetamine tablets tucked away in a field hut nestled in Village 4, Don Dang subdistrict. As any intriguing tale unfolds, threads began connecting: those tablets were traced…
The southern provinces of Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat in Thailand are about to witness a high-profile visit as Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra prepares to step into these beautiful yet tumultuous regions. Despite fresh undercurrents of unrest marked by recent bombings, Paetongtarn is unwavering in her decision to visit these provinces. Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai confirmed this bold move shortly after addressing the gravity of the bomb incidents that rocked the area just days ago. The landscape of this story bursts into action with two nerve-wracking incidents. On January 13, the quietude of the Ano Ru subdistrict in Pattani was shattered by a blast that left six paramilitary rangers injured. The chaos rippled further on January 14 in Sri Sakhon district, Narathiwat, where a devastating explosion took the lives of two courageous police officers, a stark reminder of the simmering tensions. These attacks were the central topic during a recent…